Telephone-jack.



No. 718,093. PATENTED JAN. 13, 1903.

H. P. ULAUSBN.

' TELEPHONE JACK.

APPLICATION FILED. MAY 8, 1902. N0 MODEL.

WZnesses: v Invent-0 r:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY P. CLAUSEN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN ELECTRIC TELEPHONE COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPO- RATION OF ILLINOIS.

TELEPH ON E-JAC K.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 718,093, dated January 13, 1903.

Application filed May 8, 1902- Serial No. 106, i36. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern: 7 invention consists in matters hereinafter set Be it known that I, HENRY P. CLAUSEN, a forth and claimed.

citizen of the United States of America, and- In -the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a resident of Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, a plan of a plurality of jacks secured to a 5 have invented a certain new and useful Imcommon mounting involving the principles provement in Telephone-Jacks, of which the of my invention. Fig. 2 is a front elevation following is a specification. of the device shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a In telephone systems it isusual to connect section on line 3 3 in Fig. 1. Fig. 4. is an eneach subscribers line with a spring -jack larged section on line 4. 4 in Fig. 1. Fig. 5is

10 mounted on a switchboard at the exchange or a perspective of one of the jack-springs shown centralstation. Thesespring-jacks areadaptin Figs. 1 to 3. ed to receive the plugs of the operators cord- As thus illustrated, my invention consists circuit and to permit the latter in this way in what is commonly known as a multiple to connect one line with-another. These jack-that is to say, a plurality of jacks se- 1 5 jacks are usually arranged in banks on the cured to acommon mounting and thus adaptswitchboard and are all located so as to be ed to be collectivelyinsertedina switchboard. within reach of the operator. In other words, instead of mounting each It is the object of my invention to provide jack separately a number of them are sean improved construction whereby a number cured togetherin a row upon a common mount- 20 of these jacks can be secured to a common ing, which latter is adapted for ready insermounting which is readily removable from tionin and withdrawal from a switchboard. the switchboard. As shown in Fig. l, the device comprises,

Another object is to provide a construction preferably, a front strip A, of rubber or other whereby the jacks on each mounting canbe suitable insulatingmaterial, and also a rela 25 brought closely together and wherebya com tively thin' backstrip B. This back strip is paratively large number of these jacks can preferably composed of both metal andrubber be arranged upon a switchboard and assigned orlike materials, the rubber being provided in to the care of a single operator. the form of thin strips secured to the upper A further object is to provide a construcand lowersurfaces of the metal strip. Thisis 30 tion which will not only bring all the jacks more clearly shown in Fig. 3, wherein it will within a comparatively small compass, so as be seen that the back strip consists of the to facilitate the operation of connecting up middle metal strip 1) and of the upper and different lines, but which will also reduce the lower rubber strips 5 and 19 The back strip amount of material to a minimum. thus composed of superimposed layers or 35 Another object is to provide a form of strips of conducting and insulating material mounting which will be light and simple and is preferably connected with the front strip at the same time rigid and of a character by means of metal end pieces C. These metal which will prevent it from having any tendend pieces can be adapted to fit into ways or ency to warp or get out of shape. grooves in the front of the telephone-switch- 0 It is also an object to provide certain deboard. Each jack preferably comprises the tails and features of improvement which will upper and lower springs D and E and also increase the general efficiency and which will the thimble or testing-ring F. The said tend to reduce the cost of manufacture and springs and thimbles are, it will be observed, which will also tend to render adevice of this arranged at regular intervals along the two 45 character more serviceable and satisfactory strips, the thimbles affordingsockets or open-- in use. 7 ings in the front strip, through which the op- To the foregoing and other useful ends my erators cord-circuit plugs may be inserted these pins are insulated from the jack-springs between the jack-springs. Each thimble or testing-ring is preferably provided with a rearwardlyextending portion f, which extends rearwardly and is clamped, in common with thejack-springs, to the rear strip B. The clamping means for this purpose preferably consists of the bolt G, adapted to pass through said portion f and also through the jacksprings and the back strip B. It will be seen that this bolt is insulated from the jacksprings. As a means for preventing the jackspring E from making contact with the portion f a strip of rubber or other like insulating material H can be interposed between the two and clamped, together with the springs, upon the back strip by the said bolt G. Thus the said springs and the rearwardly-extending portion of the thimble or testing-ring are insulated from each other and secured firmly in place upon the front and back strips involved in the construction of the multiple jack. As a means for preventing the jacksprings from being displaced the pins I are preferably driven through said springs and also through the back strip. In each case by means of small rings or washers t', of rubber or like material. The jack-springs and also the portions f are all provided with laterally-projecting terminals d, e, andf, to which the various circuit-wires can be soldered or otherwise attached. In this way the jack-springs involved in each jack are secured firmly in place and the construction of the entire device is reduced to a simple and inexpensive form.

The back strip, itwill be seen, is preferably composed of a maximum of metal and a 1ninimum of insulating material. In this way it will be seen that greater strength and rigidity are secured. Furthermore, the distribution of the metal and insulating material tends to prevent warping. This, it will be seen, is for the reason that there is practically the same amount of rubber on each side of the back strip, and consequently expansion and contraction due to change in temperature will not cause the strip to warp. Although simple and involving practically a minimum of material, the device is strong and rigid and of such character that the different sets of jack-springs cannot possibly be loosened or in any way disarranged.

I claim as my invention 1. A rubber front strip, a back strip comprising upper and lower sheets of rubber and an intermediate strip of metal, and a plurality of jack-springs suitably arranged and clamped upon said back strip.

2. A front strip having a row of openings, a back strip composed of upper and lower sheets of insulation and an intermediate strip of metal, and jack-springs clamped upon said back strip and arranged in sets opposite said openings.

3. The combination of the apertured rubber l front strip, the composite back strip com posed of alternate layers of rubber and metal, the metal end strips for connecting the said front and back strips, and the jack-springs clamped upon opposite sides of said back strip.

4. The combination of a front strip of insulating material, a composite back strip composed of alternately-disposed layers of metal and insulating material, the metal being in excess of the insulating material, suitable members for connecting the said front and back strips, and a plurality of jack-springs clamped upon opposite sides of said back strip.

5. The combination of the apertured rubber front, the thimbles or testing-rings inserted in the apertures of said strip, the composite back strip composed of alternate layers of rubber and metal, a plurality of jack-springs arranged upon opposite sides of said back strip, and clamping-bolts extending through the said jack-springs, and also through rearwardly-extending portions of the said thimbles or testing-rings, said bolts serving to clamp the said parts firmly upon the said back strip.

6. A strip of metal, a sheet of rubber on each side of said strip of metal, jack-springs arranged in pairs and mounted on opposite sides of said strips of metal and sheets of rubber, pins driven through said jack-springs and metal strips, and a pair of small rubber Washers mounted on each pin and arranged to insulate the latter from the said jacksprings.

7. The combination of the apertured front strip, the back strip composed of upper and lower strips of rubber and an intermediate strip of metal, jack-springs arranged upon opposite sides of said back strip, clamping-bolts passing through said back strip and jack-springs, pins driven through said jacksprings and back strip, and a pair of small rubber washers mounted on each pin and arranged to insulate the latter from the said jack-springs.

8. The combination of the front strip, the thimbles or testingrings mounted in said front strip, the composite back strip composed of the upper and lower strips of rubber and the intermediate strip of metal, the jacksprings arranged above and below said back strip and clamped thereon by bolts, said bolts being arranged also to pass through rearwardly-extending portions of said thimbles or testing-rings, strips of insulation between certain of the jack-springs and said rearwardlyextending portions of the thimbles or testingrings, pins passing through the back strip and jack-springs, and insulation between the pins and jack-springs.

9. In a device of the character described, the combination of a front strip consisting of a piece of solid rubber provided with apertures, a back strip consisting of alternate names g layers of rubber and metal so disposed or dis- Signed by me at Chicago, Cook county, tributed that the unequal expansion and (2011- Illinois, this 2d day of May, 1902. traction of the rubber and metal will not tend to warp the structure, and a plurality of jack- HENRY CLAUSEN' 5 springs mounted upon said back strip and ar- Witnesses:

ranged in sets with reference to the apertures ARTHUR L. DURAND,

in said front strip. HARRY P. BAUMGARTNER. 

